DOI article:
Sharp, Evelyn: The other Anna
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.25499#0196
The Other Anna
192
descriptions of her ? Strange how fascinating a picture those
stray bits of information have made in my mind ! Probably, if I
were to meet her in the ordinary way, I shouldn’t discover any
charm in her at all ; women are so secretive. I begin to under-
stand the reason for arranging marriages. All the same, I should
like to meet her.” His eye fell on the pink cloak, as it lay in an
efFete and shapeless heap on the floor. “ There’s something very
expressive in a woman’s clothes, when you’ve known the woman,”
he observed, to change the current of his thoughts. But they
soon wheeled round again. “ I wonder how the other Anna
would look in that thing ? It’s very odd to have kept my interest
in the same woman for six, seven, eight weeks, and a woman I
haven’t even seen. I suppose it’s true that all the constancy in a
man’s heart is for the women he has never seen, but still-
However, it’s a safe passion, and I won’t risk it by making her
acquaintance. No,” he added, moving his chair round so that he
could not see the pink silk cloak, “ I will not ask for an intro-
duction to the other Anna.”
On his way home he ran against Tom Hallaford, and they
walked down Piccadilly together. Tom Hallaford was only just
back from Rome, and it was consequently some time before the
conversation became sufficiently local and personal to interest his
companion, who had not been to Rome at all. But Askett got
his chance after a while.
“Yes, I’ve been pretty busy,” he said, in reply to an inquiry
about his work. “ By the way, you remember that model or
yours I took pity on, one day in the winter, when you kept her
waiting ? Oh yes, you do; pretty little girl rather, big hat,
name Wilson, lives with a Miss Angell. My dear fellow, one
would think you had never even heard her name ! Well, never
mind about the model; I don’t want to talk about her. But I
do
192
descriptions of her ? Strange how fascinating a picture those
stray bits of information have made in my mind ! Probably, if I
were to meet her in the ordinary way, I shouldn’t discover any
charm in her at all ; women are so secretive. I begin to under-
stand the reason for arranging marriages. All the same, I should
like to meet her.” His eye fell on the pink cloak, as it lay in an
efFete and shapeless heap on the floor. “ There’s something very
expressive in a woman’s clothes, when you’ve known the woman,”
he observed, to change the current of his thoughts. But they
soon wheeled round again. “ I wonder how the other Anna
would look in that thing ? It’s very odd to have kept my interest
in the same woman for six, seven, eight weeks, and a woman I
haven’t even seen. I suppose it’s true that all the constancy in a
man’s heart is for the women he has never seen, but still-
However, it’s a safe passion, and I won’t risk it by making her
acquaintance. No,” he added, moving his chair round so that he
could not see the pink silk cloak, “ I will not ask for an intro-
duction to the other Anna.”
On his way home he ran against Tom Hallaford, and they
walked down Piccadilly together. Tom Hallaford was only just
back from Rome, and it was consequently some time before the
conversation became sufficiently local and personal to interest his
companion, who had not been to Rome at all. But Askett got
his chance after a while.
“Yes, I’ve been pretty busy,” he said, in reply to an inquiry
about his work. “ By the way, you remember that model or
yours I took pity on, one day in the winter, when you kept her
waiting ? Oh yes, you do; pretty little girl rather, big hat,
name Wilson, lives with a Miss Angell. My dear fellow, one
would think you had never even heard her name ! Well, never
mind about the model; I don’t want to talk about her. But I
do